


Popsicles

by puffythepig



Category: The Simpsons
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Past Relationship(s), happily divorced, past homer/marge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24003010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puffythepig/pseuds/puffythepig
Summary: I first noticed the difference in Mom on the night Ruth brought her home daisies. Until then, Mom had been sitting around and crying, or angrily cleaning things, or spending the entire day job hunting at the table. Ever since Dad walked out after his and Mom’s last fight, she’s had no choice but to be both parents to us. Bart is acting like it’s nothing, but I know it’s been affecting him, too. He keeps trying to call Dad at night, but he won’t answer. I’m trying my best to help take care of Maggie and the pets while we go through this, but it isn’t easy. Even with Laura helping around the house, it’s a struggle.But when the daisies were set on the table, Mom’s entire demeanor seemed to change.
Relationships: Bart Simpson/Milhouse Van Houten, Jessica Lovejoy/Lisa Simpson, Ruth Powers/Marge Simpson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	Popsicles

I first noticed the difference in Mom on the night Ruth brought her home daisies. Until then, Mom had been sitting around and crying, or angrily cleaning things, or spending the entire day job hunting at the table. Ever since Dad walked out after his and Mom’s last fight, she’s had no choice but to be both parents to us. Bart is acting like it’s nothing, but I know it’s been affecting him, too. He keeps trying to call Dad at night, but he won’t answer. I’m trying my best to help take care of Maggie and the pets while we go through this, but it isn’t easy. Even with Laura helping around the house, it’s a struggle.

But when the daisies were set on the table, Mom’s entire demeanor seemed to change. Something about how Ruth danced around with her in the living room when Mom said she was going to be cleaning changed her perspective on everything.

Even Bart is starting to like having Ruth around, I think. Mom is doing things she never did before; she’s making us little star-shaped popsicles in the freezer with chunks of real fruit in it like a Youtube mom, and when she’s cleaning the dishes and making dinner, she isn’t treating it like a chore anymore. She seems to have a new spring in her shows now.

I started to suspect that Mom loved Ruth, but I didn’t want to intrude. When Mom came forward and sat Bart and I down, I wasn’t sure what to expect. “Bart, Lisa, I have an announcement to make… I know it hasn’t been easy since Dad left us here,” she delicately said the last words, trying her best not to frighten us, I think, “but we’re going to be okay, and there’s going to be a little change. Ruth and Laura are going to come and live with us!”

Unable to hold back my thoughts, I blurted them out. “Are you dating Ruth, Mom?”

I don’t think I ever saw Mom blush that hard before. Not with Dad, even. “I wasn’t sure if I should tell you that part yet. You two aren’t upset with me, are you?”

I couldn’t help but smile up at her widely. As hard as it was being without Dad, I couldn’t say no to my mom being happy. “No, I’m not upset.” I leaned forward and hugged her, waiting for Bart to join us and turning around slowly when he didn’t.

“I’m sorry, Bart.” Mom said softly, trying to reach forward and pull him in as well, but he shriveled up his nose and grimaced.

“I can’t believe you would do this, Mom!” With that, he ran out of the room and up the stairs, and a second late a slamming door was heard. Right away, Mom hid her face behind her hands.

I stared up at my mom for a minute, and over to Ruth and Laura, who seemed just as surprised as I did. “I’ll go talk to him.” I said quietly, letting the other two comfort my mother as I hurried up the stairs into my brother’s room.

When I came into his room and he had his back turned, I had a feeling he was crying and kept my footsteps light as I approached him. Turning around and wiping snot from his nose, he glared me down as I shut the door. “How can you be okay with this?”

“With which part? With Mom having a girlfriend, or with Mom being happy?”

Bart softened a bit before his fury returned. “You really think this is about Mom having a girlfriend? This is about Dad! What’s gonna happen with him?” His voice softened again as he punched at his pillow. “What if he comes back?” With those words, Bart dropped his arms to his side and stared at his bedsheets. “Do you think he’ll come back?”

Sighing, I sat next to my brother and patted his back. “I don’t know, Bart. I think he might, but with how they’ve been fighting, I don’t think he would stay.”

My brother’s shoulders sagged and he breathed out slowly through his nose. “You don’t think he will forget us, do you?”

“No!” I chimed in, surprised at the words. “He wouldn’t forget us…I just think life is going to be different from now on, but it’ll be for the better, Bart. We have to believe that.”

“We have to believe that?”

“What else can we believe right now?”

Shrugging, Bart bundled his pillow in his hands. “I dunno. I don’t know what to believe in at all right now.”

“I know. Me neither… but we have to try, don’t we? For Mom. I don’t want her to be sad again like she was when Dad first left.”

“Yeah, I don’t want her to be sad, either. I guess I really blew up on her, didn’t I. Did she seem upset when I ran up here?”

“She did, but I have an idea to make it up to her. Follow me.” I took his hand and we tiptoed into the kitchen, throwing together a cake. It may have been a box cake, but we slammed some pink icing onto it and Bart wrote that he was happy for her on it, and when we brought it to her, she started crying, so I think it did the trick.

On the night that Dad came back, it was raining and dark out, and I was starting to believe he wouldn’t come back for us when he knocked. When we opened the door, we could smell the beer right away, and I felt like crying. I was so happy to see him again, but to see him show up like this made my heart sink. Still, Bart and I rushed forward and hugged him tightly, and Mom, Ruth and Laura joined us in the entrance-way quickly.

“Homer, you said you wouldn’t get drunk before coming to see them…” Mom whispered, and Dad didn’t seem to hear her. He hugged us tightly and looked over at Ruth.

“So, you weren’t lying… you did move on.” He glanced at Ruth up and down and feigned a smile. “I’m happy for you.”

“Come inside, Homer. Dinner is almost done.” Ruth said nonchalantly, and everyone clambered into the dining room, now with extra chairs.

Dinner was quiet, and my emotions couldn’t decide if it made me feel safe and happy or tense the entire time. Before sending Dad away, Mom tucked Bart, Maggie and I in while the adults talked, and I of course decided I need to hear it. I woke up Bart as well and we snuck down the stairs, listening closely to the conversation going on in the living room.

“Are you sure you can’t take me back?” Dad whispered, and my stomach flipped. “I know I treated you badly, Marge, but I can do better. Give me another chance.”

“I’ve given you so many chances to change, Homer. It’s best if we go our separate ways.” Mom whispered back.

“Marge, please. I know I’ve been a terrible husband. I’m probably the most terrible partner you could ever ask for, but I love you.”

“Homer, that’s enough.” Ruth spoke up this time, and I felt a strike of pride go through me. “You need to stop trying to guilt trip her.”

“Marge, are you just going to let her speak to me like that?”

“She’s right, Homey.” I could hear Mom sighing. “I’ve loved you for a long time, but you have always made me feel like I was obligated to keep going back to you, and I didn’t want the kids to grow up in a broken home for the longest time, but… it’s only broken when we’re trying to stay together despite me not loving you anymore. I need a new start, Homey. Please let me be happy. We can get some family therapy to help you and the kids both with the change, and to help me, too… but it needs to change. I can’t keep doing this anymore.”

Now Dad was sighing. “As long as I can still see the kids, I’ll agree to go whatever therapy you choose, Marge.”

My heart thudded in relief and I shared a look with Bart. I had heard as much as I needed to hear, and we both tiptoed back up into our rooms.

Sure enough, Mom announced within a few days that we would start family therapy, and I was a bit nervous, but Bart was moreso. Change has never been easy for either of us, but Bart’s always struggled with it more. Still, even he seemed to be smiling by the end of the meeting; it was official that Mom and Dad would be getting a divorce, but they already agreed on joint custody, and Dad had found his own place, just down the street. Mom and Dad even agreed that instead of splitting holidays, we would continue to celebrate them all together, and all my worries and fears that every child of divorced parents has washed away.

The wedding happened five years later. It was in the summer, and it was held outside on the beach. Maggie was six and she made an adorable flower girl. Bart was finally 15 and spent the reception dancing with Milhouse, and I was just relieved that it meant Milhouse wouldn’t be flirting with me anymore. Even Dad showed up to congratulate Mom on her new life, and he seemed genuinely happy for her. Lenny and Carl caught the bouquets and Dad cracked a joke about it, but he shut up quickly when they kissed and laughed. It seemed like love had entered Springfield in a way that wasn’t there before.

Five more years pass, and my story is really becoming my own now. Laura graduated a few years ago and ended up marrying some guy from a town over, and they already have a young daughter of their own. Bart is 20 and he and Milhouse are engaged, and I haven’t seen Bart this confident in years. It makes me wonder sometimes how long her had been struggling with his confidence in his own feelings. I turned 18 last month, and I got into a prestigious veterinarian school, and I’ve started dating Reverend Lovejoy’s daughter, Jessica. She had started hanging around the house after a while to spend time with Bart and Milhouse and play video games, and one night she ended up asking me for help with applying to college and the rest is history. Maggie’s started middle school and has already started to earn better grades than I did at her age, and while in the past I would spend the time being jealous, now I couldn’t be happier for her. I can confidently say that Dad has fully moved on. While it was hard to accept at first, he’s accepted that he doesn’t need to be married to be happy and is instead focused on spoiling Maggie in his spare time.

As for Mom, her and Ruth now help the church with the counseling service. They specialize in helping young couples figure out who they are and what to do when conflict comes up for them. Overall, I don’t think I could see my life happening in any other way.


End file.
